Mathematics for Toddlers: Easy Math Activities for Young Children

What Are Age Appropriate Activities in Mathematics for Toddlers?

Even though toddlers are still learning how to walk and talk, you can begin teaching them mathematics. Activities in mathematics for toddlers are age appropriate if the lessons are hands-on and emphasize skills like sorting and counting. In kindergarten, your child will compare whole numbers and describe shapes. At home you can use ordinary events throughout the day, from playtime to clean up, to prepare your child for kindergarten and reinforce basic mathematical concepts.

Even though your toddler won't be consciously aware of mathematical terms, he or she will understand some fundamentals, like the concept of one and two. Teach and reinforce these concepts by counting aloud with your child when you can. Another way you can encourage counting is through games. Many toddlers develop an understanding of too much or too little by stacking objects on top of one another.

Activities for Toddlers

1. Practice counting to ten. Every time you see a set of objects, count them with your toddler. Encourage him or her to say the numbers along with you. Fun objects to count are food items, animals and toys.

2. Complete sorting activities with your toddler's toys, which will help your child gain reasoning skills. He or she should learn how to sort by different characteristics, including size, color and shape.

3. Let your toddler complete puzzles. Puzzles are indirectly related to math because puzzle solving uses the same critical thinking skills that math problem solving uses.

4. Cut cookie dough into shapes and help your child identify these shapes. Use simple shapes like triangles, squares and circles.

5. Experiment with containers. This can be simple and done at home using water and various bowls. It can also make a trip to the beach educational. As your child fills up and empties a pail with sand and water, he or she is experimenting with capacity.

6. Make cleaning up fun by using patterns. For instance, help your child pick up toys in order of size, from largest to smallest. This will help him or her develop categorization skills.